With the band cancelling its Perth gig just days ago, musiclovers must have been nervous Placebo might not grace the stage in Adelaide last night.

Through the opening act Deaf Havana the question was ever present: would Placebo lead singer Brian Molko be too sick to perform?

It was only a certainty that the show would go on when Molko and fellow founding member Stefan Olsdal took to the stage with their touring band while the opening chords of Pure Morning, a song they rarely play live, thundered across the crowd.